The Gillilands left warm and sunny Southern California to live in the much cooler climate of Lithuania! Join us here as we share our adventures with you! We are a family of 6 who are dedicated to spreading the good news that Jesus Christ came to earth, died for all of us and that if we believe in Him, we will be saved from eternal separation from Him.

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Transitions 6

Going to the movies is one way we can find entertainment. Just recently (about 2 years ago) a theater was built inside the large mall called,"Akropolis". The theater is called "Cinnamon". It has 6 screens but they are pretty small theatres compared to the large ones we have come to expect from our megaplexes in California. Movies come out here a few weeks to a few months after they are released in the States. All English made movies are viewed in English with Lithuanian subtitles (unless they are animated). It is a good way to watch and read Lithuanian at the same time to see how they are translating the phrases we often hear. Half the time we feel like we need to take in a pen and notebook paper to take notes while watching:)

The seating is assigned, so you get your ticket and look for your seat assignment, like "G6" or something, then begin hunting. One thing we have noticed about this is that no matter how little the theater is filled you will see all the people clumped into the middle of the theater without an open seat between them. It is rather outside of our comfort zone to be smashed in like sardines when it is not necessary, so we often will move to another row and stretch out. I need a seat for my bag you know:) Lithuanians don't seem to crave the same amount of personal space that we have become accustom to and practically demand and feel we deserve:)

Because the theater is located inside a mall they are not as hyper about you bringing in bags with you and we have not noticed any bans on outside food. But the menu items they have to offer are not entirely unreasonably priced. The fun items you find at the snack bar (and the same place where you purchase your theater ticket) are nachos with cheese sauce(as close as you get to Mexican food in this country), traditional movie theater popcorn, candy bars, soda and of course beer. Yep, you read right, beer! What would a movie be without a beer to enjoy it with:)

2 comments:

Anonymous
said...

Dear Gillilands: very interesting movie adventure, hope the movie itself was worth seeing. Yep, in the States do things different, it would take me a long time to adjust living outside the good old U.S.A.BlessingsYvonne

Garrett!I'm not sure if you remember me but I'm one of your old students, Bethany Grigsby, who grew up in Chile as an MK.

I hope that your family is doing well and that you, your wife, and kids and are adjusting back to life in Lithuania! I am sure that God is using you in the lives of others just as he did at APU.

I did L.A. Term this past spring and it was AMAZING. I also just got back from spending seven weeks in Argentina, in which I was mostly hanging out with some awesome kids and teachers at two rural community schools. I'm back in Chile for the summer (er, South American WINTER) with my parents, who are actually going to move back to the States in December, so that the family can be together again. Oh...and when I get back to school, I'm declaring a minor in sociology, which I'm pretty stoked about =).

Sophi, I don't know you but I think you're the one that writes more of these blogs...and I just want to let you know that some of the entries I read through tonight were really a challenge and encouragement to me. Thanks for your honest words and vulnerability.

Sophi's Links

Hevenlee's poor Chin

We made it to on the plane, we did!

My friend Kim and me

A bitter sweet good bye at the airport before the fun began!

Egg dying

Using the traditional Lithunian method of wrapping the eggs with small leaves in gauze and boiling them in water with red onion skins to get this fine brown and yellow color. Then a rubbing them with a fine coat of olive oil for a nice shine.

Egg Dying

Boaz got creative....

Egg Dying

A closer look....Sonshyne did this one with her mom and it turned our looking almost like ones you see in the States.

Egg Dying

A closer look....

Easter

The girls were so pleased to find their baskets full of fun things this morning!

Easter

Ezra always enjoys Easter morning. Isn't his hair getting so long!

Easter

Boaz isn't too old for an Easter basket either!

Easter

The girls are looking so cute in their new Easter dresses that Grandpa and Grandma sent.

Easter

What a beautiful group of kids eh?

Getting to see Santa

These are all the kids whose parents work at LCC, both Lithuanian and Missionaries

Getting to see Santa

Santa reallly makes you work for your candy here in Lithuania. And he doesn't seem to be intereseted in visiting with each child individually. But it is reallly a good time and the kids just loved it.

Getting to see Santa

Since Santa doesn't sit for photos, Hevenlee went to stand beside Santa for our annual "Photo with Santa"

A Cake For Jesus's Birthday

Each year, the day before Christmas, we bake a cake for Jesus's birhday. The kids do all the decorating.

A Cake For Jesus's Birthday

Of course the frosting had to move to the more fun places other than the cake. Boaz was decorated by our friend Jonna with a mustache and a beard!

A Cake For Jesus's Birthday

Boaz decided that his mommy needed a great big kiss with his new man mustach and beard!

A Cake For Jesus's Birthday

Oh the pride of completion!

A Cake For Jesus's Birthday

This is our finished product. We tested it out on our company the next day and many people ate a whole piece! So our cake was finally edible. It has taken several year for this to happen:) It was a beautiful cake. The whole entire thing was made from scratch down to the cream cheese frosting that was DELICIOUS!!!!

Christmas Day

We had a group of students from LCC come and hang out with us for the day. It was wonderful to hang out with them and get to know them a little better!

The Donut Making Tradition Continues!

We usually use buscuits from a package, but they don't have those here, so we went with a recipe from scratch. We weren't sure they would turn out at all but they turned out better than we've ever had before. We will do this again for sure!

The Donut Making Tradition Continues!

We wasted no time in recruiting our basketball players from Senigal to shake powdered sugar on the finished donuts!

The Donut Making Tradition Continues!

Ahhh! The final delicious product! sugar! sugar! sugar! And not one was thrown away!

On our way to get our tree!

This road goes to our house. It just felt a little but like Little House On the Prairie:)

We Found It!

This tree is the right one for us!

Bringing it home

It took some doing not to drag it in the mud on the way home, but we did it.

It is finished

The proud decorating crew!

Our Stuff is here!!!

It has arrived! I have never heard so many cheers and screems as we unpacked boxes!

Old Communist Housing

Oh, and by the way, park on the sidewalk if you can't find a place:)

Old Communist Housing

Pockets of this kind of housing is all over the country. Most apartments have been totally renovated and are modern and can go for more than a 100,000 USD

Kretinga Flea Market

It seems that no matter what the weather, this place is open for business

Kretinga Flea Market

I go to this market every saturday to get our veggies, even though we can buy them at the store, it is much more fun to come to the flea market

Kretinga Flea Market

Random things people sell at the market

Kretinga Flea Market

this woman yelled at a man for honking at her to use the parking space, evidently she was not done talking to her friend. I couldn't help but to laugh out loud and take a photo to share with you.

LCC 15 year celebration

More yummy international food

LCC 15 year celebration

Many country's cooked and shared thier traditional foods.

LCC 15 year Celebration

International Celebration

LCC International University

Just part of the campus

LCC Community Day

Hot Dog peeling

LCC Community Day

Hot dogs come all connected and you have to peel them all, fun fun fun

LCC Community Day

And more......cucumbers!

LCC Community Day

Cucumbers, Cucumbers, Cucumbers!

Hot Dogs Lithuanian Style

Cucumbers go with everyting around here

Interesting Storybook

Some kind of scary wolf story eh?

Interesting Storybook

Let's just sit right back and loosen up those pants why don't you:)

Interesting Storybook!

Okay, so the mother lamb cuts the sucker open and out pops her babies. It was so nice of her to sew him up as well. Who wouldn't want to read this to their kids!

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!

Boaz says,"It is raining today because God is sad that we are going to school and won't have all this free time to worship Him."

First Day Of School

At the School. It is called, " Rainbow School."

First Day Of School

Big Opening Ceremony. Everyone gathers around with flowers in hand!

TEACHER'S CAPTURED!

There was a big show of capturing the teachers and the students had to beg for them to be released. (notice the GUN in the pirates wasteband, he waved it around at several students)

1st graders are welcomed with pomp and circumstance. A very special group.

Flowers are given to each teacher by all the kids in their class. It is a very big deal!

Sonshyne's Kindergarden Class

There are 6 kids(7 if you count mom). One other girl if the parents can get her to stay. It is such a good class.

Hevenlee's first day of School

It is tradition that you bring a flower to the teacher. She took it back 2 days later.

Sonshyne on the only jungle gym:)

Does this remind you of someone Grandma?

The Rainbow School

This would be the play ground. Severly lacking in equitment like balls etc.

Long Day At School?

Sonshyne just could not stay awake, even for her chicken nuggets!

Pooped out little girl.....

Hevenlee at her preschool at nap time.

Baptism

What great weather for a Baptism!!!!! lol

5 people got Baptized!

Check out those waves. Look at the beach photos I posted earlier to make a comparison!

Pastor Saul Karosas

Feelin a bit chilly and said, " This was our last baptism of the summer." Okay!

After Baptism Party at Our House!

The first place got cancelled due to the inclimate weather.

Good Use of our BBQ

So much meat to BBQ that is was time to use the top to get the job done!

Our packed out kitchen!

We had about 75 people come over! Good thing we clean on Saturday:)

Kurgistan (sp?) Melon

The missionary from the church came back from Kurgiston and brought this GIANT melon. It was super tasty!

BREAKFAST!

I went early to the farmer's market. I bought eggs, potatoes and cinnomin buns so we had a fresh breakfast! mmmmm

Fresh Veggies!

They just looked so colorful on my counter!

Veggies into Vegetable soup.

This is the day I made the soup right but did everyting else wrong! Isn't it great color!

The Beach at the Baltic Sea

Soooo many people go to the beach to take advantage of the great weather!

On the Beach at the Baltic Sea!

It was a bit stormy and we got a rainbow out of it!

Outside the hospital grounds

Kids get to see thier dad for the first time since he got sick.

Garrett in the Hospital

4 to a room

FIRE FUN

The boys enjoy making a fire in the outdoor BBQ

Modified Bath Tub for the Girls!

We will be getting a real bathtub soon we hope!

Sonshyne's Birthday Part Ends with a BANG!!!

Diet Coke and a roll of mentos.....thanks Wood family for the idea!

First Day in our house and Having a Party!

Feels like home!!!!

Sonshyne and Eric's 5th Birthday Party

It was a Princess/Pirate Party

Hevenlee and Nike "Washing" Dishes

Feeling right at home:)

Child Size Sink You Say............

I Say [Bi-day]

We Made It! Now for our 3 hour drive to Klaipeda:)

By the way, these people are NOT mad:)

The Layover In Ireland is Not what we expected.

Garrett was sick with the flu so we mostly stayed in this area for several hours.

After Months Of Preparation, We are Finally Leaving!

When we put our hands up as we take off, we hear chuckling all around us:)

Take Off!

We are ready to start our trip!

Our Trip to Lithuania

YES! Mom is super stoked that there are TV's on every seat!

Cliff Jumpin on the American River

The boys were so brave to try something new! The water was ice cold!

My Garden

Peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers oh my!

My Garden in Southern California

Sunflowers, Cosmos and Vincas oh my!

Yosemite

Ezra and Sonshyne

Yosemite

On the Valley floor going for a swim!

Yosemite!

we are at the top of the Valley!

MORRO ROCK in the Sierras

this is the rock we were out on top of!

We made it!

Ezra and Sophi on top of Morro Rock

Gillilands

Giant Redwoods. This is General Sherman, the largest living tree in the world.